Two glass doors sealed together behind her with a quiet hiss. Tobias opened the Redcliff Estate gates as she embarked on a pod docked at the entrance.
Akhile had no chance to interact with the outside air. The process of moving from the house to the car was all enclosed, and it prevented access.
Neillis Redcliff Industrial was still experiencing night time, although it was 8am. The sky was navy blue, and the stars were hidden behind some hazy clouds.
The pod descended toward a complex with a high-rise building. An elaborate sign was at the main entrance and it read: Redcliff Pharma.
It was enormous, and quite imposing.
The building stretched towards the sky, with a pointy top, its metallic exterior reflecting distorted fragments of the sky. There were drones which entered and exited the docking ports in synchronised intervals.
Conveyor systems transported sealed containers through transparent overhead tunnels from one point to another.
A tall woman stood at the entrance, waiting for her car to dock. The woman smiled and waved at the car as it landed. She flung the door open, her smile even wider.
"Princess Cora, welcome to Redcliff HQ," she said.
Akhile forced on a smile at the hurried arrival. She had no time to process her surroundings before being forced out of the car.
"Hello," said Akhile. "And you are?"
By this time, she had already climbed out of the car, clutching her purse in front of her.
"Uh, I assumed Mr Redcliff had already told you about me. I am Moira, and I will be your personal assistant during this time," she replied, her voice rising sharply at the end.
Her voice was unique... high-pitched if you could say. Akhile held her hand out to Moira for a handshake. In that moment, confused, Moira reached out and kissed Akhile's palm.
"Your Highness," she said.
Akhile snatched her hand away quickly and wiped. "Oh there's no need for that! I meant to shake your hand hello."
Moira's voice rose from nervousness. "I am so-so sorry, ma'am, let's try again."
Akhile reached out again with a warm smile, "Hello Moira, it's a pleasure to meet you."
"It's nice to meet you, Princess Cora."
"Please, call me Cora- just Cora."
"Thank you, ma'am. I apologise I probably can't. Mr Redcliff has given strict orders that we address you as Princess Cora."
There was an awkward silence, as they both stood by the entrance.
"Well," said Moira, "Follow me."
They both entered an elevator, where Moira pressed Floor 50. The highest floor in the building.
She led Akhile to a revolving door, which brought them inside of a quiet mezzanine floor.
"Mr Redcliff's office suite is right up the steps," said Moira.
Nathaniel stood at the entrance, waiting.
He did not smile or show that someone he knew was approaching.
"Princess Cora," he acknowledged.
"Nathaniel Redcliff."
He scanned her attire briefly, approving without comment.
"You're punctual!"
She understood that he was referring to her sleeping in, when they were still at the Meadowlands. "Your system made sure that I was on time."
"Yes," he said. "That tends to be the way of life here."
The doors behind him opened automatically.
"Much of this week," he continued, "you will observe how things are done here."
The office inside was colder than she expected.
White corridors stretched long and wide, illuminated by overhead lights which brightened with their motion. Some workers moved behind the glass walls, their movements precise, knowing what they were doing.
They moved about, one after the other, emotionless.
"You've got quite the staff! What's on their agenda today?" Akhile asked.
"We are currently involved in research for a certain antiviral compound," Nathaniel replied. "It is an experimental stem cell therapy."
He walked as he spoke, expecting her to keep pace.
"83% of the Meadowlands' medical imports originate here," he added. "Including emergency treatments."
She absorbed that silently.
They passed a section where robotic arms filled glass vials at extraordinary speed. A human supervisor monitored nearby, his eyes scanning lines of data projected midair. They observed all of this while still on the other side of the glass wall.
"The gentleman over there is trialling our new robotics filler. We are trying to increase efficiency output by at least 60%," Nathaniel said. "Demand is currently high, and we have to be on time, all the time."
"That's good," Akhile admitted.
"Yes."
There was no pride in his tone, for it was just a fact.
They entered a larger chamber overlooking a production floor.
Hundreds of workers stood in different sections, overseeing conveyor systems. The air vibrated with sound from the machinery. Of course, since they were on the other side, they could not hear much, but on the other side, it got so loud that it required a person to wear noise cancellation earplugs.
"How long are their shifts?" she asked.
"Twelve hours."
Her head turned sharply. "Twelve?"
"They have scheduled rest rotations," he clarified. "Our compensation is very competitive."
"Competitive compared to what?" she asked.
Nathaniel's gaze turned to her.
"Compared to unemployment."
The system did not pause.
"Are they allowed to stop?" Akhile asked quietly.
"If medically necessary," Nathaniel replied.
"And if they're just tired?"
"Tired is not a medical condition."
The answer sat heavy between them.
They moved again to his office suite. Nathaniel showed Akhile where to sit. This was a lounge within the office, a vastly open room with high ceilings, and the same rigid feel of a fun-less environment.
"Hello again, Princess." Said Nathaniel. He pressed a button on his desk and said, "Moira, bring in some coffee."
Akhile fiddled with her fingers, unsure of how to act in such a perfect room. There were no mistakes made here.
"Princess Cora, I trust you travelled well, and your dwellings are much more suitable for your taste at your apartment," said Nathaniel. He was still standing by the buzzer, twisting a ballpoint pen.
Akhile cleared her throat. "Yes, my apartment is quite…elaborate. I am very comfortable, thank you."
"Good."
"Although I thought I'd see you there, since it's your house…I mean Estate."
He grinned. "Oh…Princess. I hadn't realised you would long for me so soon."
Akhile's face went pale. "Don't flatter yourself!"
The coffee made it in time to interrupt them. Akhile watched as Nathaniel signalled the maid to place the coffee in front of her on a table. At the same time, he had just received a phone call. His voice was confident, and he hardly stuttered. It was as if he was reading from somewhere.
Nathaniel leaned on his desk. He had been wearing a brown suit, a deep brown, tailored to his body. It perfectly covered his tall frame and oddly complemented his red hair.
"We are going to be moving a bit swiftly, as you may have noticed. There's a lot of ground to cover," said Nathaniel. "After this, I will leave you here with your PA to help you cope."
Akhile came to. She watched the maid pour her coffee. "I see. I will try to keep up."
Nathaniel finally took a seat and faced her. His eyes caught hers. They were sharp and compelling. He didn't smile, and pursed his lips as if he was deep in thought, at the same time studying her.
"This facility operates 22 hours per day," Nathaniel explained. "Our downtime has to be minimised."
"And the remaining 2 hours?"
"Maintenance, cleanup, etc."
"Not rest?"
He did not answer immediately.
"Rest is optional," he said finally. "Maintenance is not."
Akhile folded her arms.
"Your workers look exhausted."
"They are productive."
"That isn't the same thing."
"That's what it means here." Nathaniel got out of his seat and walked to the end of the lounge part of the office. "Princess Cora, if you are to learn about anything, you have to think like a Redcliff."
"What I'm only trying to say is that this doesn't feel right."
"Feelings are inappropriate here. I need you to feel like a Redcliff. It's better you do so sooner than later, for your own good."
"Norman is a Redcliff, and he's not this harsh towards people."
Nathaniel broke out laughing. "I see my little brother has had quite the impression on you."
"Well, maybe he has."
"Norman grows fruit trees for a living. He is a farmer. My guess is, he hasn't told you the other aspects of his farming?"
Akhile adjusted her posture and stared at him, disapproving of his tone. Her shoulders were tense.
"Those plants he is obsessed with, he is responsible for isolating medicinal compounds from them," said Nathaniel. "Those peaches you love so much, are part of our process. Our drug discovery labs are all over this building, and in the Meadowlands, constantly looking for new innovative treatments."
For once, she had no response.
"You see Princess, everyone has a role to play. Even your beloved Norman, who happens to be…a Redcliff." He grinned out of his teeth when he noticed her blank expression. "Now, are you caught up? Shall I continue?"
Somewhere in the distance, a siren pulsed briefly, the sound faintly escaping into the office.
Akhile pressed her palm against her coffee cup.
She had died once from giving herself to a system that never stopped, that didn't care about rest.
And now she was standing inside another one.